Via Philly Clout:
"Here's an odd post-script to last week's General Election -- one Philadelphia voter is complaining that poll workers required her to put her hand on a Bible and swear to her identity before she could vote. Lindsay Granger put up a post on her blog on election day, saying, "I had to lay my palm on the good book and state my name and address before I was allowed to sign my name in the voting log and enter the booth. They called it an affirmation. I call it creepy...and a little offensive."

That, it turns out, is not the proper polling place procedure. Voters can be required to sign an "affirmation" document if they are listed as inactive or there are questions about their address. And this was Granger's first time voting in the 15th Ward's first division at Trinity Baptist Church in Fairmount. But they are not required to swear on a Bible or anything else.

"If anything, I should swear on a Constitution or something," Granger wrote. "Voting is a civic responsibility, not a religious one...and isn't there supposed to be separation of Church and state?" (More to read)

The American Taliban! Coming to a city near you at election time, and with Bibles!
I wonder what would have happened if Ms.Granger had whipped out a lighter and held it under the Bible while saying, no! That's not how right to vote works in America. Had this been me, I would have had an answer to that question.

What makes this story even worse is I live in Philadelphia. Well, 5 miles from the city boarder so maybe "just outside" is more accurate, but still. Ugh.

On the plus side, there seems to be a candid acknowledgment from the City Commission's Voter Registration Administrator that this was a mistake and that training is necessary to ensure this doesn't happen again. So, I chalk this up to an anomaly by someone who did not quite understand the rules, the law, and slept through the entire First Amendment discussion during high school Civics.

Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost

(15-11-2010 12:29 PM)GassyKitten Wrote: Via Philly Clout:
"Here's an odd post-script to last week's General Election -- one Philadelphia voter is complaining that poll workers required her to put her hand on a Bible and swear to her identity before she could vote. Lindsay Granger put up a post on her blog on election day, saying, "I had to lay my palm on the good book and state my name and address before I was allowed to sign my name in the voting log and enter the booth. They called it an affirmation. I call it creepy...and a little offensive."

That, it turns out, is not the proper polling place procedure. Voters can be required to sign an "affirmation" document if they are listed as inactive or there are questions about their address. And this was Granger's first time voting in the 15th Ward's first division at Trinity Baptist Church in Fairmount. But they are not required to swear on a Bible or anything else.

"If anything, I should swear on a Constitution or something," Granger wrote. "Voting is a civic responsibility, not a religious one...and isn't there supposed to be separation of Church and state?" (More to read)

The American Taliban! Coming to a city near you at election time, and with Bibles!
I wonder what would have happened if Ms.Granger had whipped out a lighter and held it under the Bible while saying, no! That's not how right to vote works in America. Had this been me, I would have had an answer to that question.

here in Florida they had us voting in a church.... i find that very troubling and would guess that here is not the only place its happening. the wall of separation is missing a few blocks it seems.